At a time when almost a quarter of the nation’s energy is needed to keep the lights on, a light bulb created by Durham-based Cree Inc. can run for six years and consume less energy than the much-reviled compact fluorescent bulb.

John Edmond, a graduate of N.C. State University and a founder of Cree two decades ago, is credited with pioneering light-emitting diode technology that is poised to change the way we light up the dark.

Edmond recently ranked 39th on CNN/Fortune’s Business 2.0 list of “The 50 Who Matter Now.” His company leads the LED lighting revolution and is making energy-wasting traditional technologies obsolete.

He co-created the first LEDs that were bright enough to be used in general illumination in desk lamps and ceiling fixtures. Many commercial users are now converting to LEDs to light parking garages, parking lots and streets.

Edmond earned his doctorate in materials science and engineering from N.C. State in 1987. As a student, he teamed with a group of other graduate students and young faculty members on promising silicon carbide research, the basis of light-emitting diodes.

After graduation, he co-founded what became Cree, which became one of the world’s top LED manufacturers. Edmond holds 77 patents in the U.S., with 34 more pending and even more foreign patents. With a $6.8 billion market capitalization, investors are betting Cree will continue to benefit from the adoption of LED lighting and produce increasingly brighter products.

The light-emitting diode is poised to become the new light bulb. How do you view Cree’s role in changing how we think about lighting?

Cree is a leader in the innovation and development of LED products and lighting solutions that deliver light quality that is as good, if not better, than the lighting technologies it’s replacing. Last year, we introduced the Cree LED Bulb, which looks and lights like the traditional incandescent bulb but with the benefits of a long lifetime (25,000 hours) and energy savings of more than 85% — all at an affordable price that makes it compelling for consumers to adopt LED lighting.

What impact will Cree’s developments have on energy use and efficiency?

Lighting accounts for 22% of the electricity consumed in the United States, so the Cree LED Bulb can have a positive impact on consumption. Innovations like these further Cree’s goal — 100% adoption of LED lighting by obsoleting energy-inefficient lighting technologies with innovative solutions that save energy and reduce associated costs to consumers. As efficiencies in LED technology increase, so do the benefits to users.

How ripe is your field for continued innovation?

Although the LED industry has been around for more than 50 years, it is just now reaching a tipping point for more widespread adoption with innovations in commercial and residential lighting. With a growing marketplace for LED lighting, innovation will continue to be key.

Cree found success here long before the Carolinas sought to become an energy hub. What perspective do you bring to the effort to encourage companies focused on energy production and efficiency to locate here?

The Carolinas have an ample pool of engineers, Ph.D.s and others focused on energy production and efficiency, much more so than other parts of the country. Being able to take advantage of qualified talent makes it much easier to recruit here.

What’s needed for other energy-related startups to do well in the Carolinas?

For any startup to do well, you have to have a few things — funding, good ideas, a lot of hard work and a strong passion for what you do. When Cree first started, we were told time and time again that we wouldn’t succeed, and then we did. Our firm belief in Cree’s mission has gotten us where we are today.